Longtime Huntington Swimming and Diving Coach Retires

Image via Huntington UFSD

The man who is responsible for founding the Huntington High School swimming and diving program has made the decision to retire after 39 years as coach, according to Huntington UFSD.

Coach Gil Smith founded the girls’ program in 1976 and was the head coach until 2007. He then founded the boys’ program in 1982 and served as the head coach until the State Championships in March.

In his last State Championships as a coach for the Blue Devils, Smith’s athlete Gunther Cassell won his third state championship and set a new state record in the 100 yard backstroke.

Smith has coached hundreds of athletes over the span of nearly four decades as a coach, but he still manages to still keep in contact with several of them, the school says.

Smith was a social studies teacher in the South Huntington school district for 12 years and then became a full-time member of Huntington’s faculty in 1983, where he helped lead the high school’s Positive Alternative to School Suspension program for many years. He taught social studies at J. Taylor Finley Middle School until he retired in 2002.

Smith said the highlight of his career was “working with quality kids and exceptional athletes.”

“I am really proud of everything we have been able to accomplish,” he told the school. “It’s been an outstanding group of young people.”

Despite retiring as coach, Smith will most likely not be able to stay away from the pool. Huntington UFSD said Smith will continue to work with the Long Island Express swimming program based at Hofstra University.

Read more about Smith’s legacy on the Huntington UFSD website.

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